Eruption on Mount Kanloan causes ashfall events across Negros Island.

Mount Kanlaon, a 2465 m stratovolcano (cone shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) on the northern part of Negros Island in the central Philippines, erupted slightly before 3.40 pm local time on Thursday 19 February 2026, according to the Philippines Volcano Observatories. The eruption comprised a series of explosions which lasted about two minutes and produced an ash column about 2 km high, and followed by a longer period of gas emissions. 

An eruption on Mount Kanloan, Negros Island, the Philippines, on Thursday 18 February 2026. Philippines Volcano Observatories.

The geology of the Philippines is complex, with the majority of the islands located on the east of the Sunda Plate. To the east of this lies the Philippine Sea plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda Plate (a breakaway part of the Eurasian Plate); further east, in the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. This is not a smooth process, and the rocks of the tectonic plates frequently stick together before eventually being broken apart by the rising pressure, leading to Earthquakes in the process. Material from the subducting Philippine Plate is heated by the temperature of the Earth's interior, causing lighter minerals to melt and the resultant magma to rise through the overlying Sunda Plate, fuelling the volcanoes of the Philippines.

Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

See also...

Eruption on Mount Kanlaon.

Mount Kanlaon, a 2465 m stratovolcano (cone shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) on northern Negros Island in the central Philippines, underwent an explosive eruption at 5.51 am local time on Tuesday 8 April 2025, producing an ash column 4 km high which drifted to the west and southwest, according to a bulletin issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. The sound of the eruption was heard about 20 km away, and pyroclastic flows were observed on the southern flanks of the volcano, and debris is reported to have set fire to vegetation close to the summit of the volcano. Ash falls were reported up to 50 km from the eruption.

An ash column over mount Kanlaon on 8 April 2025. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

No injuries have been associated with the eruption, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has recommended that communities within 6 km of  the volcano evacuate the area, and has placed a ban on aircraft overflying the area.

The geology of the Philippines is complex, with the majority of the islands located on the east of the Sunda Plate. To the east of this lies the Philippine Sea plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda Plate (a breakaway part of the Eurasian Plate); further east, in the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. This is not a smooth process, and the rocks of the tectonic plates frequently stick together before eventually being broken apart by the rising pressure, leading to Earthquakes in the process. Material from the subducting Philippine Plate is heated by the temperature of the Earth's interior, causing lighter minerals to melt and the resultant magma to rise through the overlying Sunda Plate, fuelling the volcanoes of the Philippines.

Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

See also...

Eruption and lahar on Mount Kanloan, Negros Island, the Philippines.

Mount Kanlaon, a 2465 m stratovolcano (cone shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) on northern Negros Island in the central Philippines, erupted on Monday 3 June 2024, producing a 5km high column of ash, and subsequent ashfalls in the area around the volcano. On Wednesday 5 June heavy rainfalls in the area produced a series of lahars (mudslides of volcanic ash) which swept down watercourses in some cases entering villages. There are no reports of any casualties, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has warned that the mud is likely to be toxic, raising concerns about the availability of safe water in the effected villages.

An eruption on Mount Kanloan, Negros Island, the Philippines on Monday 3 June 2024. Dollet Demaflies/AFP/Getty Images.

The geology of the Philippines is complex, with the majority of the islands located on the east of the Sunda Plate. To the east of this lies the Philippine Sea plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda Plate (a breakaway part of the Eurasian Plate); further east, in the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. This is not a smooth process, and the rocks of the tectonic plates frequently stick together before eventually being broken apart by the rising pressure, leading to Earthquakes in the process. Material from the subducting Philippine Plate is heated by the temperature of the Earth's interior, causing lighter minerals to melt and the resultant magma to rise through the overlying Sunda Plate, fuelling the volcanoes of the Philippines.

Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

See also...

Phreatic eruptions on Mount Kanlaon, Negros Island.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported a series of phreatic eruptions (explosions caused by magma or other hot volcanic material coming into contact with water) on Mount Kanlaon, a 2465 m stratovolcano (cone shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) on northern Negros Island in the central Philippines, between about 9.45 and 10.00 am local time on Saturday 9 December 2017. These eruptions were heard as far away as La Castellana, roughly 25 km to the southwest, and produced a column of ash and steam that rose 3-4 km above the summit of the volcano, with ashfalls recorded in the communities of Guintubdan, Ara-al, Sag-ang, and Ilihan.

Column of ash and steam over Mount Kanlaon, Negros Island, on 9 December 2017. GMA News.

The volcano has remained active since this event, with 578 seismic tremors recorded beneath it between 8.00 am on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 December. Seismic activity beneath volcanoes can be significant, as they are often caused by the arrival of fresh magma, which may indicate that a volcano is about to undergo an eruptive episode.

The approximate location of Mount Kanloan. Google Maps.

The geology of the Philippines is complex, with the majority of the islands located on the east of the Sunda Plate. To the east of this lies the Philippine Sea plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda Plate (a breakaway part of the Eurasian Plate); further east, in the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. This is not a smooth process, and the rocks of the tectonic plates frequently stick together before eventually being broken apart by the rising pressure, leading to Earthquakes in the process. Material from the subducting Philippine Plate is heated by the temperature of the Earth's interior, causing lighter minerals to melt and the resultant magma to rise through the overlying Sunda Plate, fuelling the volcanoes of the Philippines.

 Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

 
See also...

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

Eruption on Mount Kanlaon on Negros Island in the Philippines.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported an eruption on Mount Kanlaon, a stratovolcano (cone shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) on northern Negros Island in the central Philippines, at about 9.30 am local time on Monday 23 November 2015. The eruption produced an ash column about 1.5 km in height that drifted to the southwest. Some emissions were detected emerging from the crater of the volcano on the following day.

 Ash colmn over Mount Kanlaon on Monday 23 November 2015. Jash Pakaña/CNN.

The geology of the Philippines is complex, with the majority of the islands located on the east of the Sunda Plate. To the east of this lies the Philippine Sea plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda Plate (a breakaway part of the Eurasian Plate); further east, in the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. This is not a smooth process, and the rocks of the tectonic plates frequently stick together before eventually being broken apart by the rising pressure, leading to Earthquakes in the process. Material from the subducting Philippine Plate is heated by the temperature of the Earth's interior, causing lighter minerals to melt and the resultant magma to rise through the overlying Sunda Plate, fueling the volcanoes of the Philippines.

Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

See also...

Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake under southwestern Luzon Island, the Philippines. The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake at a depth of 106 km beneath southwestern Luzon Island in the Philippines, at...

Eruptions on Mount Bulusan.                      Mount Bulusan, a 1565 m stratovolcano (cone shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) on the southern tip of the Bicol Peninsula on Luzon Island, in the Philippines, began erupting slightly after 9.45 am...

Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake to the south of Bohol Island in the Philippines.           The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake at a depth of 35 km off the south coast of Bohol...

 Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.